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Ok so I have had my 55 gallon, moderately planted, community tank setup for about 4 months now. I just havent gotten the aquascape I have wanted though. It is a low light tank...as soon as I get the money I will by a new light fixture to boost it up to 2.9 wpg but as of now it is really low. I am hoping you all can still help me anyways becasue I want it to still ook nice until I get the fixture.

Anyway, onto how it looks now....I have added a poorly drawn pic of what it basically looks now...with main features labeled.
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t278/Platy_Punk/tankasofnow.jpg

As you can see...it needs work lol.

From the pic you can see plants include java ferns,crypts,ancharis,java moss(lots of it), and anubias. To be exact I have about 5 crypts, 3 main "forests"...if you will of ancharis, 6 java ferns (in a few days I will harvest the baby ferns that are starting to cover them) 4 HUGE clumps of java moss that is attached to the large and small pecies of malaysian driftwood. And 4 anubais barteri round leaf, and 2 anubias nana. Alll plants are growing well.

I have no idea what to do with the rocks that I have. There are about 2 medium sized 3 large and 2 small gray/white rocks. So I stacked the 3 large ones and placed the medium and small ones in various places around the tank. I dont like how they look at all.

The driftwood I am pretty happy with. But not all that gleeful about the smaller peice. Maybe someone has an idea for a better spot for it.

Substrate is the best in the world...Eco Complete.

Fish include:
2 bolivian rams
2 german blue rams
12 panda cories
5 tilli cories
8 platies
4 kuhli loaches
and a small rubbernose pleco

Please help me...if I could show a real pic of the tank I would but unfortunately thats all I can get. Thanks for the help!

I think that that layout looks pretty good, i have a few ideas though.

Seperate the moss and ferns into defined groups

Move the rock pile a little to the left and back

put the wood to the right of the rocks; not really going to make a differnce though

Put a forest of anacharis infront of the intake, but a little towards the front so it doesn't clog it.

Move 2 of the crypts in front of the cave(rock pile) giving the cories and kuhliis privacy and security.


These are just some ideas, probably none of them being worth trying but you can see what you think.


-Vincent

Thanks for the reply bud. I like your ideas. By "the wood" you mean the smaller peice right? If so I was thinking to do thins also. As far as privacy for the kuhlis and cories the anubias by the rocks are more cover for them than the crypts.

Thanks for the reply and I will try some of your ideas tomorrow.

I like as well . Good example of a rift designed tank.

I'd try and get the java fern to grow up and to the left and not to the right. Since it probably will, look around your LFS for some lace java, it's just as easy as the 'standard' but doesnt grow as tall and so will help keep the design and keep the other java from ending too abruptly.

Only question I have is should the heater be closer to the spray bar to help promote even distribution of heat?

^_^

Hi,
I'd suggest you redo the filtration intake/output.
You should be able to arrange the spray bar so that it
is vertical in the tank creating currents along the
back in a CW direction. Or, you should be able to set the
spray bar horizontally along the left side of the tank
just below the surface so that it "blows" across the top
of the tank from left to right.
Move the intake to the
opposite end. Whenever possible the intake should be away
from the output. You just filtered that water why pull
the output of the filter back into the input side?

With one of the above arrangements, you can
place the heater near the output side
of the filter so the water "blows" across the
heater and circulates both the water and the
heat throughout the tank.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Lol, the tank looks like a coral tank with the crypts and such......

But for aquascaping, you should put some moss on the top rock, and Some java ferns to grow near the heater, not the anacharis. The anacharis should be moved to the intake, like frank suggested.

Nice setup still!

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